Grayson Allen gives Suns head coach Jordan Ott another headache to solve

The Phoenix Suns return to The Valley after a two-game preseason matchup in China against the Brooklyn Nets, where they impressively won the first game in overtime before trailing the second by just two points. One thing has quickly become clear with this group and that is that the atmosphere is a lot higher than in previous seasons. Even Kevin Durant has admitted that.

Of the many players head coach Jordan Ott watched in Macau, few improved their stock more than swingman Grayson Allen. With Jalen Green continuing to miss time with injury — and likely not back until the opening game of the regular season at the earliest — it’s Allen who has been put in the familiar position of trying to step up in the absence of a better teammate.

Allen is playing his way into big minutes in this rotation.

This is a spot he found himself in during his first season in Phoenix, when he defeated Bradley Beal, who missed nearly half the season due to injury. Last season was a misstep, with Allen giving up his starting spot to point guard Tyus Jones before suffering some setbacks of his own. He also built up a ton, although in retrospect that may not have been the best idea given his skill set.

Now entering his third year, Allen appears to have slimmed down a bit, while also finding himself back in a starting spot. That won’t remain the case once Green is back, but what Allen can be now is the link between the older version of this roster and what’s to come. He is capable of playing 30 minutes a night off the bench, and in certain formations that can be an (admittedly sub-par) three.

He will also come off the bench a lot, and the trip to China felt like an audition to be the sixth man here. While Royce O’Neale held that role last season, the departures of Durant and Beal mean it feels like the rotation is returning to Allen’s skillset.